“Ten-pin, fivepin, 100-pin, whatever-pin-you-want-to-name, I’m just not much of a bowler,” conceded the burly winger for the Canadian national junior team, who put aside his lack of lacquered-lane prowess to play the good sport during a spot of team-building fivepin bowling event. I’m lousy, actually.”

“It was fun, though. Good for all the guys. We were doing a team battle. (Jonathan) Huberdeau’s team won once, I know. The team I was on? Last, three times.”

“Hitting your own guys . . . after a while, like I said, old. The camp has been good, we’ve gotten a lot accomplished, but this isn’t what I’m used to in the NHL, where we’re playing every second day.

“So I think everybody’s excited to start competing against other players. Even in exhibition. That’s the true test.”

They’ve been together a week now, the Chosen 22, and in that time sorted out a myriad of crucial details, built familiarity, set up tentative lines, completed a rudimentary Chemistry 101 crash course.

But Monday’s prep opener, the first of three prior to the IIHF world junior championship beginning in earnest, can’t get here soon enough.

“Right now, my linemates, we know a lot about each other,” said the metronome on the Smith-Pelly line, Mark Scheifele. “But now’s the time to prove things to ourselves in games. That’s when the coach is going to see who can mesh together. The tempo gets ramped up, players are pushing back.

“Right now, it’s just kind of a basis, getting our systems down, becoming familiar with each other. I think we’ve accomplished a lot since we’ve been together. But we’re all anxious to take that next step.”

Even boss-man Don Hay can’t hide his delight to take this adventure to its next stage. Practice, after all, is for teaching — games are for learning.

“I’m looking forward to getting to know the players from behind the bench,” Hay admitted. “You get so comfortable knowing your players on your club team, it really takes about a period to get to know (different) players. When you’ve got a penalty kill, who’s going to jump out there? Games are when you find that type of thing out. Everything’s quicker, you finish your checks, you deal with the good moments and the adversity.

“Exhibition is not only for the players, it’s for the coaches. It’s going to give us a really good feeling on who can do what. The game is all about competition and thinking the game, so it should be a real good test for us.”

Monday’s opening test against Finland at the Scotiabank Saddledome in Calgary represents a short road trip for Hay and Co. The Canadians have set up shop in the palatial Banff Springs Hotel digs, will bus into Calgary and then back to the mountains directly after the tilt. They then tackle the Swiss on Thursday at the Enmax Centrium in Red Deer, Alta., before pulling up stakes for Edmonton, and a date versus Sweden 24 hours later at Rexall Place.

In keeping with tradition, the event kicks off Boxing Day and Canada will be headquartered in Edmonton until the knockout phase, which takes place in Calgary.

“Obviously every one wants the tournament to get underway,” agreed winger Tanner Pearson. “Everything is geared towards being completely ready on the 26th. You can’t substitute what happens in a game, thinking on the spot quicker, putting pucks in the proper places.